2012
Andrew Westman
The Roman town’s defences – their date, purpose, construction techniques and materials – are discussed and their subsequent history recounted here, accompanied by a wealth of illustrations. Although dilapidated after centuries of abandonment, the presence of the walls probably led to Chichester’s Anglo-Saxon revival. Rebuilt to protect the medieval city against the French and other enemies, the walls were only ever actually attacked during the 17th-century English Civil War. Soon militarily obsolete, they became a civic amenity, with tree-lined public walks, and now, defining the historic city centre, they are conserved and displayed as a fitting symbol of the city.
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